Meat-coating composition and method



United States Patent MEAT-COATING COMPOSITION AND METHOD Byron M. Shinnand Wesley H. Childs, Chicago, 11]., assignors to Armour and Company,Chicago, 111., a corporation of Iiiinois N0 Drawing. ApplicationNovember 4, 1953,

Serial No. 390,253

Claims. (Cl. 99-169) This invention relates to a meat-coatingcomposition and process. The invention is particularly useful inproviding a coating for frozen cuts of meat and especially for cuts ofmeat that are boned, rolled and tied. The coating has been used withespecially good results on frozen veal cuts which are boned, rolled andtied, that is, on rolled veal roasts.

This application is a continuation-in-part of our copending applicationSerial No. 140,954, filed January 27, 1950 and now abandoned.

Heretofore, it has been the practice to wrap cuts of meat, andparticularly those which are boned, rolled and tied, in caul fat. Thisis done as a means of affording juices for basting such meat which isnaturally deficient in fat. Such caul fat, however, is not alwaysavailable, and further has the disadvantage of becoming rancid afterperiods of storage, etc. Coating formulations have been used but suchformulations have not been satisfactory because of the tendency of thematerial to char in the cooking operation, and also there is a tendencyfor the coating to sink or drop away from the meat during the cookingstep.

In the coating formulations employed, it has been common to use flourfor the purpose of obtaining a white color and also for preventingsubstances such as gelatin, which is a common ingredient, from stickingduring the cooking operation. The flour, white serving a useful purposein preventing the sticking of substances such as gelatin, is undesirablebecause of its tendency to char and thus to form black specks in thecooked product, and while the fiour produces a white coating, thecoating lacks luster.

There has long been a need for a coating formulation in which flour andsimilar material which forms a char may be omitted while at the sametime preventing the sticking characteristics of gelatin and causing thecoating to cling to the meat body during the cooking step. It isimportant that such coating also be one which is attractive inappearance, supplying the necessary fat to the meat during cooking,while also remaining as a stable emulsion through a period of timesuitable for commercial operations involving the dipping or coating ofsuch meats.

An object of the present invention is to provide a coating formulationmeeting the above-described requirements or needs and not subject to theobjections set out. A still further object is to provide a coatingmethod and product by which the desired amount of fat is supplied tocuts of meat While forming an attractive covering therefor, the coatinghaving less tendency to sink away from the meat during cooking and alsohaving a less tendency toward charring than when ordinary coatings areused. Yet another object is to provide a coating of substantial strengthso as to withstand handling while giving the coated meat cuts anattractive appearance, the formulation being such that a stable emulsionis produced which is available over a long period of time forapplication to roasts or meat cuts while at the same time having lesstendency to sink away from the meat during 2,721,142 Patented (Pct. 18,1955 the cooking operation. A still further object is to provide acoating composition of glistening white appearance in which flour andstarches are not present while at the same time preventing the stickingof the gelatin component and avoiding charring in the cooking operation.Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specificationproceeds.

in prior coating formulations, it has been common to employ flour,starch and milk powder. While such ingredients are undesirable becauseof their tendency to char at the cooking-temperature for the meat, ithas been assumed that at least some of them are necessary for thecontrol of gelatin, which is found to be a necessary ingredient. Whilegelatin will char to some extent, it is found that flour, etc. willprevent the gelatin from sticking and thus greatly reduces its charringtendency. Unfortunately, fiour itself also chars and the coatingsproduced further tend to sink away from the meat during cooking. Thesinking away of the coating is particularly undesirable because it isthe coating which supplies the fat and juices for basting such meat cutswhich are naturally deficient in fat.

In one of its aspects this invention is concerned with a coatingpreparation for fat-deficient meats, comprising a stable emulsion of ameat-basting fat in water emulsitied and stabilized with the combinationof edible gelatin and a water-soluble edible cellulose gum. Coatingpreparations falling within the scope of this invention are furthercharacterized by having a glistening white appearance when solidified,while being free of any white coloring material tending to char atmeat-cooking temperatures.

Suitable fats for use in practicing the present invention can bedesignated as meat-basting fats. Fats as distinguished from oils areusually in a solid or semi-solid state at ordinary room temperature, andthis characteristic thickness of fats at ordinary temperatures isdesirable for the purposes of this invention. The particular fatemployed will usually vary with the type of meat being roasted. Forexample, it will ordinarily be desirable to employ beef fat rather thanpork fat for basting veal roasts as a matter of taste. Rendered beeffat, sometimes called oleo stock is particularly desirable for use inproducing coatings on rolled veal roasts, with which the presentinvention has particular utility. However, it will be understood thatpork, mutton, or vegetable fats can also be used in practicing thisinvention.

Any edible gelatin can be used in the meat-coating preparation.Particularly good results have been obtained with gelatin having a bloomof about 225. However, it will be understood that gelatin of differentcharacteristics can be used.

The term cellulose gum as used herein is intended to designate not onlysodium carboxymethyl cellulose, but also other cellulose derivatives ofsimilar properties, such as the water-soluble non-toxic celluloseethers. Among the cellulose gums which are suitable for use inpracticing the present invention can be listed the following:hydroxyethyl cellulose, methylhydroxyethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose,methylethyl cellulose, cellulose sulfates like sodium cellulose sulfate,and glycolic acid salts like sodium, potassium or ammonium carboxymethylcellulose. As indicated, the cellulose gum should be water-soluble ordispersable and non-toxic or edible. The cellulose glycolates arepreferred and, in particular, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose.

While the proportions of the various ingredients in the meat-coatingpreparation can be varied in accordance with the present invention, ingeneral it is preferred that the ingredients are in the proportions byweight as set out below:

.Excellentresults have beenobtained with formulations employing theingredients in the following proportions:

Per cent Meat-basting fat to Edible gelatin 4 to 9 Cellulose ether n 0.1to 0.5 Water 38 to The ingredients of the coating may be mixed in anydesired manner. We prefertomixthe cellulose gum and the gelatin in thedry state. Elhisdry mixture is liquefied by soaking in water andsubsequent heating with agitation. .The fat, in melted condition, isthen added and thorough agitation is maintained until emulsion results.The prepared roasts, such ,as rolled veal roasts, are then preferablydipped into this emulsion. It .is possible to prepare the coatingemulsion by adding the meat-basting fat in solid form to the heatedmixture of water, gelatin and cellulose gum, the heated mixture beingsufficient to melt the fat. Oleo stock (rendered bovine fat) ispreferred when veal roasts are to be coated.

Under plant conditions, it is desirable to prepare a quantity ofemulsion at one time and use this for dipping or application to the meatover a period of six to eight hours. The cellulose gum acts not only asa good emulsifier but as a stabilizer for maintaining the emulsion forthe length of time desired. Since the formulation is such that a stableemulsion is produced and the emulsion is thus available over a longperiod of time for application to roasts, the coating product is ofgreat value in meeting plant conditions. The emulsion is preferablymaintained at a temperature ranging from F. to F. to avoidcrystallization of the fat and subsequent graining out and also toprovide a proper viscosity for the dipping of the prepared meat.

The strength and viscosity of gelatin solutions deteriorate with timeand temperature. However, the presence of the cellulose gum appears toovercome such deterioration and the protective colloidal action of thegum assists markedly in preventing heat deterioration.

A cellulose gum like sodium carboxymethyl cellulose is a criticalingredient and we have not been able to find other emulsifying agentswhich cooperate with the gelatin to produce the necessary stabilitywhile also permitting the omission of flour and other charringingredients,

and while also producinga glistening white and attractive producthaving'less tendency to sink away from the meat during heating.

The use of flour in present-day coating is effective in giving a whitecoating but the color lacks luster and is dead in color effect. In thepresent process the use of white coloring material, such as flour, isentirely eliminated. The oleo stock has its usual light yellow colorwhile the gelatin, cellulose gum and water are colorless. As a result ofthe process, an unexpected result occurs in that the coating turns outto be snow white with high luster and presenting a glistening whiteappearance. Why this result is obtained, we are unable to state but thecoating thus formed is far more attractive by reason of its luster whileat the same time having less tendency to char and to sinkaway from themeat during cooking.

7 While the preferred temperatures at which the emulsion is maintainedrange from 105 F. to 145 F., it is possible to use higher temperaturesand this maybe desirable if the cuts are frozen to a lower temperaturethan usual and are at a lower temperature than usual when being dipped.The temperatures of the meat at dipping (outs de fac s o h me are-pr f ay thin th range of 45 to minus 20 F. The condensation of moisture fromthe surface of the meat dipped and the evaporation of Water from theemulsion during the prolonged period of heating and dipping of meat haveno adverse effects upon the stability of the emulsion.

Most cellulose gums are quite stable to heat. For example, sodiumcarboxymethyl cellulose has a browning range of from 374 F. to 401 F.and a charring range from 455 .F. to 478 F. Since the meat may beroasted or cooked at 320 F. or thereabout, the browning range andcharring range .above indicated is avoided, and similar results can beobtained with other cellulose gums.

Cellulose gums of difierent viscosities may be used. By properadjustment of the water content, we mayuse either high, medium or lowviscosity cellulose gums. We prefer the higher viscosity gums becauseless isrequired to produce a good coating. By intimately mixing thecellulose gum with gelatin, both materials being in the dry state, andby adding the dry mixture slowly to water with substantial agitation andwith suflicient heat for liquefying the gelatin, the cellulose gum isthoroughly dispersed throughout the mixture and is effective even in thesmall amounts indicated for producing the above-mentioned results.

The new coating, by reason of the stability of the emulsion, isapplicable for plant operations. Its cost is low. The coating hassufficient strength to withstand handling. The coated roasts or cuts ofmeat are given an appetizing appearance, whether in the frozen ordefrosted state, by reason of the glistening white color of the coating,and the coating carries a large quantity of fat for affording juices forthe basting of the fat-deficient meat.

It has been found that seasoning, such as sodium chloride, monosodiumglutamate, protein hydrolysate, pepper, spices, etc. maybe effectivelyincorporated into the meatcoating preparations of this invention withoutimpairing the stability thereof. For example, a seasoning-concentrationof sodium chloride can be used so that the coating is effective inseasoning the meatas it is being cooked, While at the same time thecoating shows marked stability during the period prior to the cooking ofthe meat. Preferably, from about .5 to 2% by weight of sodium chlorideis used in the meat-coating and seasoning preparation.

This invention is further illustrated by the following specificexamples.

Example 1 About 0.2% of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and 5% of gelatinwere mixed in the dry state. To this was added about 51.5% of water andthe mixture was heated and agitated. About 41.8% of oleo stock wasmelted and this was added to the water, cellulose and gelatin mixture,and the mass agitated until an emulsion resulted. The 1.5% of salt wasaddede'ither in the early mixing stage of the cellulose, gelatin andwater, or to the emulsion after the fat had been added. The resultingemulsion was then applied to the meat rolls, preferably by dipping themeat rolls in the emulsion.

Example 11 The process was carried out as described 'inExample I, exceptthat the Water was 53.0%, the oleo stock 40.3%

the gelatin 5.0%, the salt 1.5%, and the cellulose gum Example H1 Theprocess was carried out as described in Example I,

except that the water was 53%, the oleo stock 39.8%, the

gelatin 5.0%, the salt 2%, and the cellulose gum 0.2%.

Example I V Following the procedure of Examplel, except that salt wasomitted, a number of preparations were prepared using various cellulosegums, the ingredients being combined in the following proportions:

Example V A number of different meat-coating preparations were producedaccording to the method previously described, using methyl cellulose asthe cellulose gum. Frozen rolled veal roasts were satisfactorily coatedwith these emulsions, whose composition is indicated below:

Water 56. 97 50. 64 47. 97 50. 57

Oleo Stock--- 36. 61 43. 65 46. 62 44. 29

Edible Gelatin" 6. 25 5. 55 5. 26 5.

Cellulose Gum 0. 17 0.16 0. 15 0. 14

Example VI Frozen veal roasts were satisfactorily coated with coatingcompositions employing hydroxyethyl cellulose as the cellulose gum whichhad the following composition:

Water" 56. 97 50. 64 Oleo Stock 36. 61 43. 65 Edible Gelatin 6.25 5. 55Cellulose Gum 0. 17 0.16

While in the foregoing specification we have set forth certain examplesin considerable detail, it will be understood that such details may bevaried by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit ofour invention.

We claim:

1. A meat-coating preparation, comprising an emulsion composedprincipally of a meat-basting fat and water while also containing ediblegelatin and a water-soluble non-toxic cellulose gum as essentialingredients, the proportions by weight of said ingredients ranging fromabout 30 to 60% of meat-basting fat, 30 to 60% of water, 2 to 12% ofedible gelatin, and 0.05 to 3% of the cellulose gum.

2. A meat-coating preparation, comprising an emulsion composedprincipally of rendered beef fat and water while also containing ediblegelatin and a water-soluble non-toxic cellulose ether as essentialingredients, the proportions by weight of said ingredients ranging fromabout 40 to 50% of the fat, 38 to 55% of water, 4 to 9% of the gelatin,and 0.1 to 0.5% of the cellulose ether.

3. The meat-coating preparation of claim 2 in which said cellulose otheris a cellulose glycolate.

4. The meat-coating preparation of claim 2 in which said cellulose otheris sodium carboxymethyl cellulose.

5. As a coating preparation for fat-deficient meat, a stable emulsion ofa meat-basting fat in water emulsified and stabilized with thecombination of edible gelatin and a water-soluble non-toxic celluloseether, said emulsion containing said ingredients in the proportions byweight of about 30 to 60% of the fat, 30 to 60% of water, 2 to 12% ofthe gelatin, and 0.05 to 3% of the cellulose ether, said coatingpreparation when solidified having a glistening white appearance whilebeing free of any white color material tending to char at meat-cookingtemperatures.

6. A meat-coating and seasoning preparation, comprising an emulsioncontaining a meat-basting fat, water, edible gelatin, a water-solublenon-toxic cellulose ether, and sodium chloride, the proportions byweight of said ingredients ranging from about 40 to 50% of the fat, 38to of water, 4 to 9% of the gelatin, 0.1 to 0.5% of the cellulose ether,and .5 to 2% of sodium chloride.

7. In a method of preparing fat-deficient meat for roasting, the stepsof forming an emulsion containing a meat-basting fat, water, ediblegelatin, and a cellulose gum, in the proportions by weight of about 30to of the fat, 30 to 60% of water, 2 to 12% of the gelatin, and 0.05 to3% of the cellulose gum, and applying the emulsion thus formed to saidmeat to form a coating thereon having a glistening white appearance.

8. In a method of preparing a rolled veal roast for roasting, the stepsof forming an emulsion containing rendered beef fat, water, ediblegelatin, a water-soluble nontoxic cellulose ether, and sodium chloride,in the proportions of about 40 to 50% of the fat, 38 to 55% of water, 4to 9% of the gelatin, 0.1 to 0.5 of the cellulose ether, and .5 to 2% ofsodium chloride, and applying the emulsion thus formed to said vealroast to form a coating thereon having a glistening white appearance.

9. The meat-coating preparation of claim 1 in which said cellulose gumis selected from the group consisting of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose,methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, and sodium cellulose sulphate.

10. The method of claim 7 in which said cellulose gum is selected fromthe group consisting of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, methylcellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, and sodium cellulose sulphate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,440,517 Lesparre Apr. 27, 1948 2,551,463 Ramsbottom May 1, 19512,558,042 Cornwell June 26, 1951

1. A MEAT-COATING PREPARATION, COMPRISING AN EMULSION COMPOSEDPRINCIPALLY OF A MEAT-BASTING FAT AND WATER WHILE ALSO CONTAINING EDIBLEGELATIN AND A WATER-SOLUBLE NON-TOXIC CELLULOSE GUM AS ESSENTIALINGREDIENTS, THE PROPORTION BY WEIGHT OF SAID INGREDIENTS RANGINIG FROMABOUT 30 TO 60% OF A MEAT-BASTING FAT, 30 TO 60% OF WATER, 2 TO 12% OFEDIBLE GELATIN, AND 0.05 TO 3% OF THE CELLULOSE GUM.